With Rent this High and Wages this Low, How Can a Family Survive?

A recent report from the National Low-Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) shows the high costs of housing across the nation – costs that low-wage workers and their families simply cannot afford. Although minimum wage remains at $7.25/hour, NLIHC estimates a full-time worker must earn, on average, $18.79/hour to afford a two-bedroom apartment. In practice, rental costs take up most of a poor family’s income, leaving very little left over for other basic monthly necessities, such as food, transportation, and child care.